Although individuals undergoing inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse or dependence constitute a large population with a high prevalence of oral diseases, little attention is paid to oral health issues in such treatment programs. Motivational enhancement methods such as motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2002) and health behavior change consulting (Rollnick, Mason, & Butler, 1999) have been applied to a broad range of health-related behaviors, and seem well-suited to improving dental/oral health-related behavior. However, systematic efforts to adapt and evaluate the efficacy of this approach to oral health promotion and disease prevention have been lacking. The present application addresses the goal of the NIDCR Clinical Trial Pilot Grant program (PAR-99-158) by addressing preliminary design and methodological issues for an eventual full-scale clinical trial to evaluate motivational enhancement strategies for use with individuals in inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse and dependence, to prevent craniofacial, oral, and dental disease and promote craniofacial, oral, and dental health. The proposed research consists of two phases. During Phase One we will adapt motivational enhancement strategies for use in a brief Motivational Oral and Dental Health Promotion intervention aimed at improving personal oral hygiene and utilization of community-based oral health preventive and treatment services. An intervention manual, training materials, and intervention adherence measures will be developed during this phase (Specific Aim 1). Development of assessment strategies also will occur during this phase. Survey and clinical measures to be used for initial assessment, feedback preparation, mediation tests, and outcome evaluation will be identified and refined (Specific Aim 2). During Phase Two we will conduct a randomized pilot trial of the motivational intervention. The pilot trial will serve (a) to demonstrate the intervention's feasibility, (b) to document our ability to conduct a trial of this nature, and (c) to provide initial evidence of the intervention's ability to yield improvements on oral and dental health-related behavioral and clinical measures (Specific Aim 3). The pilot trial also will allow us to optimize our research procedures and assessment protocol in preparation for a subsequent full-scale trial (Specific Aim 4). Results will be directly applicable to addressing oral health issues in alcoholism treatment settings.